As Europeans' interest in health and well-being rises, the way nutritional values are communicated on-pack are growing in importance - and can help brand-owners gain an edge on their competitors. But with no consistent way of showing nutritional information, it has become very hard to compare products. IRI's Olly Abotorabi questions why more food manufacturers aren't grasping this opportunity.

Olivier Humeau, the general manager of IRI's French arm, considers the changing mindset of FMCG consumers and how manufacturers and retailers must adapt their approach to find the opportunities for growth in a flat market.

Private label across Europe continues to grow, and is making its presence felt right across the FMCG spectrum. No longer just dominant in the more traditional categories of ready meals and frozen food, there are some interesting developments across other categories in the major European markets. Olly Abotorabi, senior regional insights manager at IRI, looks at the recent performance of the private-label sector across Europe and sheds light on which categories are faring better than oth

For years seen as the less glamorous alternative to fresh, frozen food has been making a quiet comeback across Europe. Olly Abotorabi, senior insights manager at IRI International, considers why demand for frozen is hotting up.

In Europe, healthy food - or products marketed as healthier than their existing counterparts - are most popular, and showing the strongest growth potential, among millennials, IRI writes in its monthly column for just-food.

In the latest of its monthly columns on just-food, FMCG market research giant IRI surveys the main issues food manufacturers and retailers will have to consider as they market and sell to consumers in 2017.

Researchers at IRI have studied promotions in seven major European markets and say their data shows the use of offers is easing. Tim Eales, strategic insight director for IRI's UK business, looks at the numbers.

The spat between Unilever and Tesco in the UK over price grabbed the headlines last week but, across Europe, for different reasons, price remains a critical issue for the FMCG sector. Consumers remain price sensitive despite improving economic conditions and are wasting less, meaning growth is hard to come by. IRI's Anne Lefranc looks at ways suppliers and retailers could work together to drive sales and profits.

The rate at which food products are launched in the UK has been declining. Tim Eales, director of strategic insight at IRI, suggests why manufacturers may have held back from innovating but argues they must be bold - and offers advice on how the innovative can succeed.

Tim Eales, director of strategic insight at IRI, dips into the analyst firm's latest data on FMCG private label in western Europe and looks at how own-label is faring against national brands in the region.

Ramadan begins next week, a month when Muslims fast from dawn until sunset but outside those hours prepare meals with plenty of food. However, in many markets, the halal sector is in growth year-round. Jacques Dupré, director for insights at IRI, looks at manufacturers and grocers can serve a growing market for halal food in France, one of the countries with the highest Muslim populations in Europe.

Discount retailers are a major force in grocery retailing in a number of European markets, forcing supermarkets to adapt and prompting suppliers to revise their strategies in a number of areas. However, in a guest column for just-food, José Carlos González-Hurtado, the former Carrefour chief commercial officer who is now president of international at IRI, outlines why there could be limits to the growth of the discounters.

Are promotions leading to increased sales in Europe's major grocery markets? IRI's Jacques Dupré analyses how discounts are affecting sales, finding a mixed picture, and warns manufacturers of the dangers of sustained high levels of promotion.

The economic turmoil in Greece has been one of the biggest business stories of the year. But what kind of effects has the crisis had on the ground? How have shoppers reacted? IRI's Panagiotis Boretos investigates.

Falling prices in a number of European markets have dampened sales growth in chilled and fresh food. With consumer confidence on the rise in countries like the UK, there could be further pressure on sales, with shoppers looking to eat out more, while range reviews by retailers are also putting the squeeze on some segments. IRI's Sarah Pittock weighs up the outlook for the sectors.

Despite signs economic conditions in Europe are improving, competition on price remains fierce in a number of markets. However, manufacturers must use more weapons that just simply price in their quest for growth, IRI's Jacques Dupré argues.

Digital media is becoming the marketing method of choice for FMCGs, Carl Carter of industry analysts IRI writes. But can manufacturers truly measure if digital media is helping drive shoppers on the path to purchase?

The economic performance of markets in Europe was mixed in 2014 and signs of recovery are hard to find in a number of countries. The impact on FMCG sales has been suitably varied. IRI's Tim Eales crunches the numbers to pull out the key trends and suggests some optimism of stronger volumes in 2015.

Private label is now a mature market - one that has grown quickly over recent years to a position of some strength in the European FMCG industry. A force to be reckoned with, traditionally private label has helped consumers reduce their weekly shopping bills and provide retailers with an extra opportunity to boost sales and grow margin.

A focus throughout Europe on offering high volumes of products on promotion is not making the average shopping basket any cheaper, and consumers are not necessarily getting a good deal on price and are ending up paying more for their average shop, according to IRI's Tim Eales.

There is a sense across a number of markets that consumer confidence is improving and the latest data from the just-food international basket, compiled exclusively by IRI, shows the total cost of a shop is, on average, increasing. However, consumers are buying more products on deal and the price gap between brands and own label is shrinking. IRI's Martin Wood crunches the numbers.

Now that the football World Cup has come and gone, Tim Eales, director of strategic insight at IRI, examines whether it provided a much-needed boost to UK retailers and food manufacturers, or if England’s early demise meant they lost out too.

Across Europe, the level of promotions in grocery stores continued to increase in 2013 - but without boosting sales volumes. IRI's Tim Eales says the sector needs to review how they promote in order to drive sales.